The Thin Place is a story told by three perspectives. Ava is a journalist with an obsessive personality. Although pregnant with her first child she becomes wrapped up in investigating the haunting tales of a local bridge and nearby estate in Glasgow. Ava digs deeper and deeper into the hauntings of the grounds and just what horrible events happened there previously. At the height of her obsession I found myself no longer able to like or even relate to her character.
The chapters with Marion and Constance were the most intriguing. I was hooked on their perspectives and eager to learn just what had happened in their lives. Although an interesting read, I had guessed a main part of the plot/ending by the midpoint. This is disappointing in a mystery/thriller novel.

Thanks to Amazon Publishing UK and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I'm an absolute sucker for a foggy, suspenseful house horror, and C. D, Major's "The Thin Place" delivered exactly that.

The story is told from the viewpoint of three different women in three fairly sequential time periods, but the main protagonist is Ava, an expectant mother and local news reporter who gets hopelessly hooked on what she assumed would be a quick story about mysterious dog suicides by the hand of Overtoun Bridge, located in a neighboring town. Despite her growing unease of Overtoun Bridge and the accompanying house on the adjacent property, Ava finds herself so drawn to the locale and its muddled history that she barely notices the jagged rifts forming between her and her partner, family, and colleagues. Major's secondary and tertiary narrators provide bits and pieces of the property's history, though they are just as much of a puzzle as the whole mess is to Ava.

While "The Thing Place" is not an entirely new concept for a spooky tale, it's quite enjoyable. There were a few bits I found on the predictable side, but I think it's rather unusual for that to not happen if you're a fan of the genre. Also, for what it's worth, I definitely did not predict every twist and turn. The ones I was expecting were still just as unsettling once confirmed. There is a also a layer of moral dilemma of whether or not your demons are, in fact, your own that adds a complexity to the characters and relationships in the novel. Does keeping them to yourself harm your loved ones more than you? Can you share them without knowing? Is there any way to keep them out? To get out yourself?

Major's exploration of Overtoun as a "thin place," described as a place where the barrier between this world and the next is noticeably weaker, kept me hooked and kept me awake. I believe it will always lead me to hold onto the leash just a little tighter.

I really enjoyed this book! I had never heard the term ‘thin place’ before so was intrigued to learn what that meant. The story was riveting, the characters were well formed and overall, I’m excited to have discovered a new author! The topic covered in this book can be hard to deal with at times but it wasn’t so involved that I couldn’t read it. All in all, I would definitely recommend this book to friends...

Ava is a news reader who discovers a story relating to Overtoun House and Bridge where stories say hundreds of dogs leapt to their deaths due to the thin place (a celtic belief that heaven and earth are only separated by a thread). Ava visits the house on many an occasion and becomes obsessed with the house, much to the consternation of her partner and family.
There are also chapters written by Marion and Constance who in different decades lived in Overtoun house.
At the end of the book the author references tragedies than have happened at Overtown.
A really interesting book which grabbed my attention from the start.
Received this book from Netgalley and publishers in exchange for an honest review

This is the first time I have read a book by this author.
At first I got confused who Marian and Constance was but it did not take me to long to work out who they where and how they where connected.
The thin place had lots of different themes running through the book, child abuse, loss, belonging and animal abuse.
This book concentrate on three people telling there stories from different points of view.
This book has mystery and suspense running through it. I did enjoy reading this book but wanted to get to the end to see what happens. I did not see the ending coming and I didn’t realise Overtown house is a real place it has made me what to do some research on it. I give this book 4 stars.
Thank you NetGalley and Amazon publishing for providing me with digital copy.

I love ghost stories or stories about old houses and towns. So, obviously I can relate to Ava on her determined search for answers to this house with a history. She dives in, and gets caught up in the possible dangers that lie ahead on her search. In stories like these there is always more than meets the eye!

What a ride this book is! The epitome of the ideal thriller with just enough dark chill, legend and mystery without graphic gore. Scotland positively drips with atmosphere and I could picture myself there at Overtoun Estate. The story is told by three perspectives and the focus is mainly on the goings on at a bridge, the estate and a flat in Glasgow. Jumping dogs and obsessions add to the atmosphere as do minor characters.

Ava, a journalist and pregnant with her first child, is drawn to Overtoun Estate to investigate a local legend and her own disturbing fascination. But the more she learns the more obsessed she becomes. She cannot let go and her priorities become skewed, very noticeable to those around her. She's not particularly likeable but one needn't like or relate to characters to enjoy a good read.

The stories of Marion and Constance are so riveting I was very eager to read more and more. Talk about secrets galore and loads of twists and turns! The strategic melding of the three perspectives is brilliantly done. And the ending! I absolutely loved it. The writing itself is great and the mysteries well planned out with a few helpings of genius.

Readers of General Fiction, Women's Fiction and Mysteries should read this absorbing book. Though chilling, it's not scary.

My sincere thank you to Amazon Publishing UK and NetGalley! Much appreciated.

I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thin places are places where the barrier between this world and other worlds are thin. The worlds are fused together and you can walk through both. This is a fitting title for this book because we are able to walk through the lives of 3 women who live in different times. I enjoyed the mystery of this book, but I was put off by the characters. In my opinion none of the characters had any redeeming qualities, so I was not entirely invested in their story arcs. I would definitely read another book by this author, I just didn’t care for the characters in this one.

Great mystery story—chilling—but I didn’t want to put it down. I had an idea of how the different story lines might be connected, but there were several possibilities and the author kept me guessing to the end.

At a little over the halfway point, a lot of Ava’s story became redundant. It seemed to drag out more than it should. I grew tired of reading about how messed up she was, physically and mentally.

>Note—skip the epilogue—it’s terrible. I hope the author changes it by the release date.

Advanced reader copy courtesy of the publishers at NetGalley for review.

I chose this book as the book cover and the blurb drew me in and I love the idea of a mystery novel.

This is the first book I have read by this author and I enjoyed the level of detail and some of the suspense provided in the book, however it did take me a while to get into the story and I wasn't captivated at the beginning enough to read on with speed.

To captivate me and keep me going from the offset, I feel that the story should have been played the other way around so it starts with the Ava finding out her mum's background and going through the story that way rather than waiting until the last few chapters to find out what's happening. I found the investigating piece long and drawn out.

Ava Brent, a small time news reporter, a woman in a loving relationship, with a nice if somewhat mysterious on her mother’s side family, has finally all she has so desperately wanted to be…pregnant. Now her life can be complete…yet a case gets in a way. Something that should have been a peculiar but trivial story about a strange suicide inducing landmark turns out to have a strange and irresistible attraction for Ava. The creepy Overtoun Estate standing all but forgotten in the shadows and gloom calls to Ava, promises to whisper its secrets to the right ears, seemingly desperate to have its story told… Or maybe Ava’s projecting, powered on by her obsessive personality. Either way, she can’t let go of the story, to the great detriment of her professional and personal life. And so the novel mainly follows Ava on her quest for the truth.
And meanwhile, you get two other storylines, set in different times.
One of a sheltered young woman who gets wooed, married and whisked away to a remote hostile manor by her superficially dashing broom, Crimson Peak style minus the incest. Whereupon her isolation and loneliness and inability to have a baby turn her mind to a darker place. The other of a young girl, systemically and horribly mistreated by her mother.
Of course, all the stories are connected and it’s up to Ava to jostle her growing belly around trying to figure out the connection.
The overall success of Thin Place depends on how you read it. If you approach it as a character driven drama with Gothic undertones…it’s pretty good. If you read it as a thriller with light supernatural ghostly echoes…it’ll leave something to be desired. Which is to say I figured out every single plot turn and twist way, way too early on. Every single freaking one of them. There might have been surprises for Ava, but there were none for this reader. And that’s in a genre that (pun intended) lives and dies by its twists. I mean, granted I’m a person of an above average intelligence, with an analytical mind adapted for deduction, who reads tons of thrillers, so my brain is somewhat primed to solve these things, but still…this has been the most predictable of adventures. Which is somewhat disappointing, because otherwise the book read pretty well. It managed to sustain a nice atmosphere throughout, Overtoun Estate rendered appropriately creepy (it’s the eponymous thin place where the boundaries between the words are…well, thin), and the characters were well developed and had that careening trajectory that made their stories as compelling as train wrecks…you know where it’s going but you can’t look away.
The pacing was good, the novel read very quickly. And it was inspired by real life events, locations and cases. The latter, specifically, the case of Dee Dee Blanchard and her daughter, which, having never jumped on the true crime train that is such a modern obsession) I’ve never heard of until now and having looked it up since I’m stunned any jury would convict the daughter. I mean, if there was ever a mother you can justify killing…oh justice, how strangely your wheels turn. Anyway…
So yeah, a darkly entertaining and fairly compelling, but tragically predictable thriller or a darkly entertaining character driven generational dramatic tragedy. Choose your own adventure. The author’s debut looks interesting too, especially the NZ asylum thing, maybe one day. Thanks Netgalley.

So I need someone to make this into a show or movie yesterday. Following the three timelines and how the connect at the end is amazing. It’s truly a book that you cannot put down. I felt the obsession that Ava had to know the whole story and fill in all the missing pieces. If you liked haunting of hill house and bly manor read this book.

I found this in the Read Now section of Netgalley. I liked the sound of it, so I decided to check it out.
I hadn't realized that I'd read something by this author before, and it wasn't for me. But I figured, each work should be judged on its own merits, right?
So here goes. The story is told in three parts with three different narrators. We know that Ava is here in the present, but the position of the other two narrators in the timeline is unclear. This is obviously on purpose, though, as knowing would spoil one of the big reveals. I like the multiple timeline format, and feel like it worked well, here, although I did find myself more interested in the two "past" plots than the present one.
Ava, the protagonist, is not a particularly likable character, but then, neither is anyone else in her life. The lack of communication between her and her family members, as well as her partner, is pretty extreme. Everyone comes off as weirdly selfish and sulky and persecuted, and I found it difficult to care about any of them.
Ava's story was her solving the mystery of the other two people's stories. She's an investigative reporter, but she does very little actual investigating. Answers just sort of fall into her lap, first stumbling upon a giant clue that literally explains half of the mystery, and then two conversations clear up the rest. Ok, then, so maybe this is meant to be less of a mystery and more of a character study? Maybe, but as I said, the cast of the present part of the story weren't particularly interesting, well-developed or likable. The two characters in the other parts of the story fare better, but they are also very one-note.
The ending, or, at least the pre-ending/big reveal came as no surprise- from the introduction, it was clear that Marion was going to end up being [can't spoil it!]. What did surprise me a bit, though it shouldn't have, was the mean-spirited little twist at the end, which mirrored the ending of that other book I'd read by the author.
Clearly I am not the right reader for CD Major.
It was a well-structured and interesting enough story, though, and I can understand people enjoying it.

This was an incredibly easy read,and I dont mean that in any negative way.
It was straightforward,and didnt throw in red herrings or too many plot twists.
I made assumptions about the characters quite early on,and was pleased to have them be right.
A very interesting idea that has a place be haunted by its past,and the people who lived there.
It packs a punch or two,but never veers off into unbelievable territory for me.
A very enjoyable read.

I quite enjoyed this book, but the dual narrators didn’t quite work for me and I think the atmosphere could have been stronger.

While this is a memorable story centering around complicated mother/daughter relationships, I found the ending to be too predictable for this to really be classified as a mystery/thriller for me. And as much as I appreciated and wanted to love the unique storyline, I didn’t really buy into the “danger” Ava was in; perhaps her decisions to ignore the warnings translated to a lack of intensity as I read the story. The ending was predictable and it was almost too obvious what the connections between Marion, Constance and Ava were from the beginning for me.

Unfortunately, I didn’t feel like I had any character to root for. I had trouble sympathizing with Ava, as she ignored her boyfriend, was rude to her family and was selfish throughout the novel. Her feeling of being “drawn” to the bridge just didn’t make that much sense, perhaps more buildup to that would make it easier to sympathize with her. At the start of the novel, I thought Marion or Constance could end up being the true protagonist, but unfortunately as their stories continued throughout the book their flaws were revealed and led me to wonder what the purpose of this novel really was.
I would think more content warnings would be helpful as this book could be difficult to read for many (CW: suicide, child abuse, animal death).

I found this book to be just okay. It was an interesting premise, but I found the story as a whole to be a bit lacking. I also figured out the twist well before the end, it seemed so obvious. Overall, it was a decent read, but not something that knocked my socks off.

I like a story with different perspectives. On how I can imagine a life of few characters. Some
have a good story behind them but some are barely understandable. In this story, you will have
three perspectives. One is from the present and two was from the past. Those three have
different timelines but they are all connected as you will soon find out after reading this
wondrous novel. The story was so realistic. Every detail was etched into the story.
The characters were not half bad as well. I mean you`d hate some of the decisions the
characters were doing. While others would make you pitty and sympathy with them. I had felt
different emotions while reading it. And I would say that it does its job, a great one. Characters
that made you feel their emotions as if you were them.

Not long ago I had just read a book that involves three women as well including the protagonist
like this one. I`d say these characters were so impactful and powerful not because of their story
but also because they are women. They are capable of doing anything and portraiting the best
possible characters for the story. I actually don`t know what to say anymore.

This book was well-written and so good that words may not be enough to describe it. This book is very recommendable to other readers. It will leave you with a feeling of longing as I might wish that this was longer or wish that this is a series of books or I just like its story that I don`t mind reading it all over again.

Very well developed characters and an extremely engaging story. Well thought out and very suspenseful story line that keeps the reader guessing until the final twist! This is the book to read this year! Highly recommended!

‘The Thin Place’ -C.D. Major
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ *easily 5 stars*
Genre: Historical Fiction/ Thriller

⚠️ TW: Miscarriage, still-birth, munchausen by proxy, animal abuse and animal death ⚠️

The Thin Place: where the veil between heaven and earth is so thin, one could effortlessly fall over the precipice.

This slow-burn novel perfectly encompasses fact, fiction and mystery, utilising them in an emotive, shocking and disturbing storyline. Throughout reading this I; nervously paced, held my breath (countless times) and felt that dread of your heart dropping suddenly out of your body without a trace.

Based upon the real location of Overtoun in Scotland, that is steeped in myth, Ava- a tenacious journalist, seeks to uncover the truth behind its tragic past. But will this jeopardise everything she once loved?

Told through three female characters; Ava, Marion and Constance, spanning different time frames, the history of this tragic place begins to reveal itself as we learn these women share a harrowing connection.

Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for this riveting ARC.
Release date: 15th April 2021